BEFORE THE WARPED DOOR
The section-boss was thoroughly surprised and not altogether delighted
at being roused early the following morning with the news that he could
start at once for Bismarck. As Dallas' voice penetrated the partition,
he returned the only reply his ice-bound moustache and goatee would
permit--a muffled growl. She did not hear it, yet she knew how he felt.
The previous day, though a casual observer might have been misled by his
garrulous fretting over Ben's lameness, she was quick to note, and with
a pang, that, secretly, he was relieved. But her pain at his laxity and
indifference was not unmixed with pity. For to her crippled father,
whose crutches, in the snow, hindered rather than helped him, she
guessed how long and lonely and bitter cold seemed the way to the
land-office.
Yet it was something more than these aspects of the journey that caused
Lancaster to view it unfavourably. He knew that in another thirty-six
hours, when the original applicant's half-year was up, he, and not the
other, would have the clearer right to the quarter-section. Therefore,
he regarded the proposed declaration of abandonment, the cancelling of
the old entry and the filing of a new, as forms which need not be gone
through with hurriedly (since the first claimant had undoubtedly
disappeared for good and all), but which might be attended to quite as
well the coming spring, when the roads would be open and the days warm.
Confident of his perfect security on the peninsula, and possessed by a
sneaking, but denied, abhorrence for rush and discomfort, he rejoiced at
delay. So, having left his snug bed to fumble about in the dark for his
clothes, and, these donned, having loosed his speech before the grateful
blaze in the fireplace, he did not argue fatigue or freezing as an
excuse for procrastination; he passed over these rather too briefly and
enlarged upon his safe status as a settler.
"All bosh," he asserted as he watched Dallas and Marylyn busy with
preparations for breakfast. "A hull regiment of soldiers couldn' put us
offen this lan', t' say nothin' of a man thet ain't done a thing on it
sence he took it up. Ah might _jes'_ as well stay home."
But he found that Dallas was firm on the question of his
going--"haidstrong," he termed it--and would not even pause for a
discussion. She had risen early to feed the occupants of the
lean-to--Shadrach in particular; next, with a promise of rest later on,
she had awaked Marylyn. Formerly, the younger girl would have persisted
in questioning her about the proposed journey, and in knowing its
purpose. Now, however, her interest in it, like that in most things, was
so small that she appeared totally indifferent, and went about her work
silently. Despite the fact that this somewhat revived Dallas' anxiety
over her sister, the elder girl felt freshly strengthened in spirit. In
all her twenty years of life no other morning had, like this one,
promised her so much happiness.
When the evangelist emerged and, after a sojourn in front of the
hearth, joined the family at table, Lancaster pined to ask him what he
thought of their braving the elements foolishly. Not that the
section-boss esteemed his aged guest. On the contrary, Dallas' evident
interest in the stranger had stirred the unnatural jealousy in her
father's wizen brain. Already, he hated David Bond, and had set him down
for a crank. But Dallas needed a lesson. It was all very well for her to
do the outside duties as if she were a man; that did not privilege her
to ride roughshod over his opinions, or to rule affairs in general with
a heavy hand. However, he found no opportunity for questions. She,
reading impatience and mutiny in her father's every glance, kept up
throughout the meal an unwonted flow of talk.
"Dad," she said, covering his plate with a crisp hot-cake for the
dozenth time, "I haven't told Mr. Bond all about the claim--all the
reasons why we want him to take you to Bismarck;"--the section-boss
grunted at the "we"--"so you please tell him as you're going along. And
don't let your coat get unbuttoned, or your ears froze. I heated some
big rocks for the bottom of the sleigh and some little ones for your
pockets. You'll both weigh so much that Shadrach can't run away if he
wants to, and you can't fall out into a drift."
Not a word from the others checked her cheery stream of comment.
However, breakfast past, and Dallas in the lean-to, David Bond managed
to make a declaration. It was when he saw Lancaster take down the Sharps
from its pegs by the mantel. "That should stay behind," he said,
touching the rifle. "We are leaving your helpless girls alone. At least
they should have something for defence."
Lancaster instantly agreed, observing to himself that the evangelist,
after all, had some common sense. "Shore," he replied, "Ah'll put th'
gun back an' we'll take yourn."
But he was corrected with severity. "I carry no weapons, sir," said
David Bond. "I stand for peace."
"Then th' gun goes," declared the section-boss. "The gals was alone
before 'thout it. They was no snow on th' groun' then, an' a heap more
chance of someone comin'. They ain't no danger. An' ef Ah take th' gun,
mebbe Ah c'n git a deer on th' way back. We need th' meat."
The evangelist considered a moment. "Very well," he said; "but I would
advise differently."
"Aw, shucks!" retorted the other, struggling with his coat.
A moment later, his irritation was increased. At the same time the
visitor unknowingly covered himself forever with suspicion. Through the
frosty air and the darkness rang out the first trumpet blast from
Brannon. And, as if totally unconscious of the action, David Bond
reached up and bared his head.
"I love that summons," he said; "it bids our good lads wake and do their
duty."
Lancaster was not unmindful of the courtesy due a guest. But any
reference to patriotism was offensive, and he had been particularly
provoked. So, behind the broad shoulders of the other he disdainfully
turned up his nose.
They were off at last, with Marylyn watching them from a window, and
Dallas walking alongside for a few rods to say good-by and to pat
Shadrach's bony, white flanks encouragingly. Morning was stealing up the
dun east, yet overhead the stars were shining. And their near radiance,
reflected upon the snow, coupled with the light of the slowly growing
dawn, made it possible for the girls to follow the travellers' straight
course for miles. But long after Marylyn left the window, the elder girl
remained outside. The dun of the east was painted out with uprushing
waves of pink. The stars sank back into the heavens, grew smaller and
dimmer, and, one by one, disappeared. Finally, a yellow rind, haloed in
mist, was thrust above the level of the prairie. As Dallas greeted it,
the distant ridge of a snow-drift, rose-tinged like the sky, hid the
crawling speck that was the pung.
* * * * *
On his arrival behind David Bond, Nick Matthews had found that full
pockets were plentiful among the soldiery, and had promptly gone about
emptying them. Soon after entering The Trooper's Delight, he sat down to
a chip-piled table. His quarry surrounded him. And there he stayed
throughout the long night, wide-awake, sharp-witted, unwearied, adding
to his heap of coloured discs honestly and otherwise. Not until
reveille, a clarion warning, sent his fellow-players scurrying back
across the river, did he put his cards one side and throw himself down.
For, though a confirmed night-hawk, he needed a short nap to prepare for
some business that lay before him.
"Babe," a direct contrast to his brother, being thick-necked, stumpy and
dark, had not failed to garner his share of the rich harvest. From his
station behind the long counter, which was made of four heavy planks
supported on barrels at either end, he had poured strange mixtures into
beer mugs and exchanged them for good government coin. When he was not
performing his part as bartender, he was scraping illy timed tunes upon
a fiddle.
It was he who was left in charge when, shortly after noon, his brother
awoke, swallowed some whisky and armed himself with a brace of pistols.
Then, with no word to the few loungers in the saloon, the latter set
out, following the road that led up the river to the ferry-landing. At
the cut, he climbed the bank at a leisurely pace and continued his way
eastward, making straight across the snow toward the squat shack of the
Lancasters.
His approach was instantly marked. Marylyn was once more at her post,
studying the square of landscape framed by a window. When he made a
quick figure on that landscape, she saw him, and called to Dallas.
"Here's someone coming," she announced, inwardly glad at the possibility
of diversion.
Dallas hurriedly joined her. "Who can it be?" she asked.
The door was unbolted, the other window not fastened. Yet so far were
her thoughts from molestation that she left them so.
"Going to ask him in?" questioned Marylyn.
"Not till I find out who he is."
They fell silent, conjecturing.
When Matthews reached the drift before the shack, he halted and
signalled for them to open their window. That attitude toward
them--clearly he did not expect a welcome--at once roused Dallas'
suspicion.
"Marylyn," she said, making as if to obey their visitor, "draw the bolt
of the door."
The younger girl, quick to be alarmed, instantly did as she was told,
and Dallas then shoved the sash aside. Both girls looked from the
opening.
With all Matthews' hostile intent, it must be said that the moment found
him disconcerted. He had learned on arriving that the section-boss had
two daughters. The news did not alter his determination one whit. Had
anyone suggested such a thing, he would have been moved to laughter. But
now he noted the prettiness of the younger girl, and a certain conceited
desire to appear chivalrous, which had earned him the title of
"Lady-Killer" among his associates, made him involuntarily spruce. He
smiled ingratiatingly, and prepared to launch into flowery speech
when--he met Dallas' grave, steady eyes, and suddenly found himself at a
loss for words.
"How d' do, Miss?" he said at last.
"How d' y' do?" she returned. In spite of herself her voice trembled.
That did not escape Matthews. He shamed his momentary embarrassment and
resolutely grappled the matter that had brought him. "I want t' see your
old man," he said. It was a demand.
"Dad can't see you to-day," she answered with ready caution. She thought
it best to keep from him, whoever he was, the knowledge of her father's
absence.
"Huh!" ejaculated Matthews, in an ugly tone. He came a few paces nearer.
"I got t' see him, jus' th' same."
"But you can't."
"Ain't he t' home?"
Marylyn pressed close to her sister. "Tell him yes," she begged
nervously.
Dallas hesitated. Then she answered. "He's not home. Will you please
come again--some other time?"
The gambler chuckled. "My _dear_ young lady," he said, his tone the
extreme of insolence, "I can't come no other time. Th' business I got t'
do has got t' be done t'-day. I might as well tell you that my name's
Matthews--Nick Matthews. This claim you're on is mine, an' I mean t'
have it. What's more, I mean t' have it t'-day."
"Ah!" Dallas was thinking fast. At her shoulder, aware all at once that
they were in danger, was Marylyn, clinging in pitiful terror.
"_Yes_," added Matthews, as if that clinched the matter.
Dallas looked at him without speaking.
"I jus' come from Dodge City," he went on. "My intention is t' live on
my land all winter. I'm _very_ sorry"--this ironically--"your old man
took th' trouble to build on it. He ought t' inquired about th' claim
before he done that. But--long's it's all one with _my_ plans fer
improvin'--I don't see's I ought t' _kick_." He chuckled again, and
spat.
"I know, and so does dad," said Dallas, "that a man filed upon this
quarter-section in July. We didn't find it out, though, till long after
we built this house. We know his six months is almost up, too. But if
you're him, and even if you've got back only a few hours before it's up,
I'm willing, and I think dad'll be, for you to have the claim. But you
must pay for what we've done on it."
"_I_ never ast y' t' do anything on it."
"That's so. But the law says----"
"Aw, th' law be damned! I don't pay a cent!"
"Then I know dad won't leave."
"Oh, you _do_."
"Yes," very quietly.
"Well, let me tell y', my dear, that you're _dead_ wrong. You're goin'
t' git your duds an' grub t'gether right now; in half a' hour, you leave
this cabin."
At this, Marylyn began to sob.
"Come, get a move on," ordered Matthews, threateningly. He knew that if
he wished to regain the land, there would be no time better than the
present. He began to walk up and down, flinging his arms about to start
the circulation.
Dallas turned to comfort Marylyn, putting an arm about her protectingly.
"Hush!" she said. "Keep quiet, honey."
"Oh, let's go! let's go!" wailed the younger girl.
Matthews came forward again, and took out his watch, a large, open-faced
timepiece hung to a braided buckskin chain. "Now, look a-here," he said
peremptorily; "I don't want no more funny business. This claim's mine.
Your old man ain't got a solitary right to it. So you got t' go. I'll
give you _jus' ten minutes_." With this, he resumed his pacing,
comforting his beat with occasional draughts from a flask.
Dallas strove hard to collect herself. "I can't do anything till dad
comes," she called to him, finally. "You want us to leave. Why, we
haven't got any place to go; and it's cold----"
"Guess I know _that_," interrupted Matthews. "I'm almost friz."
"And you've got no right to ask us to go till you've paid for this house
and the well--and--and my plowing."
"I pay fer nothin' I don't see, and fer no hole in th' ground," he said.
"And as far 's a place to go is concerned"--this with a leer--"there's
Shanty Town. Why, the boys'd be tickled t' death t' see y'. Then there's
allus room at the Fort when there's good-lookin' gals in the fambly."
Dallas understood the insult. Her grey eyes flamed in her greyer face.
She slammed the window.
Matthews came near, so that his face all but touched the glass. "Oh,
that don't do no good, my dear," he said, raising his voice. "When I get
ready, I'll come in."
Marylyn had stilled her weeping to listen to him. Now, pallid with fear,
she threw herself upon her sister and again burst forth.
Dallas put her swiftly aside. The face that had been grey was now a
tense white. Her eyes were blazing. She sprang to the gun rack and put
up her arms.
But the pegs were empty!